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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26792428">like we dream impossible dreams</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/theriveroflight/pseuds/theriveroflight'>theriveroflight</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fair Game Weekend 2020 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - 1960s, American History, Based on a Taylor Swift Song, Bittersweet, Boats and Ships, Fair Game Weekend (RWBY), M/M, Military, Period-Typical Homophobia, Vietnam War</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:36:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,032</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26792428</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/theriveroflight/pseuds/theriveroflight</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Clover is going off to Vietnam tomorrow to fight in the war. He and Qrow have one last date.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fair Game Weekend 2020 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1951570</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>like we dream impossible dreams</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Day 2: starlight</p><p>Based on the Taylor Swift song titled...well..."Starlight."</p><p>yes it's summer of '45 in the song but I don't know as much about the 40s besides ww2 so we aren't going to bring that up</p><p>CWs: queerphobia mentions, war/military mentions</p><p>This was supposed to be fluff.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>I said oh my, what a marvelous tune</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It was the best night, never would forget how we moved</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The whole place was dressed to the nines</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And we were dancing, dancing</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Like we're made of starlight…</span>
  </em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Clover has never been particularly rebellious. Really. Despite the queer thing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That's just about the most rebellious thing about him -- daring to love another man, which is rebellion enough that it might get him killed. That is, if the war doesn't.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tonight's the last night he has before he gets drafted. Qrow is teaching, he doesn't have to worry about being drafted. But he does. And they're going to get in one more date before they have to part.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A yacht, from some rich people he doesn't care enough about. But he's dressed for the occasion, and Qrow should be too.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>
    <span>I met Bobby on the boardwalk, summer of '45</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Picked me up late one night at the window</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>We were 17 and crazy running wild, wild</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Can't remember what song it was playing when we walked in</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The night we snuck into a yacht club party</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Pretending to be a duchess and a prince</span>
  </em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>He almost doesn't see Qrow in the darkness, except that Qrow is wearing a dress and it </span>
  <em>
    <span>glitters </span>
  </em>
  <span>in the moonlight by the ocean. "You look beautiful," he tells Qrow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Tonight," Qrow says, in a slightly higher voice, "we are being a duchess and a Prince of a country that doesn't have either. The heiress and heir to a company that might be big someday, but nobody's ever heard of. Had money before that."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I love you," Clover says, "but you're </span>
  <em>
    <span>insane, </span>
  </em>
  <span>this is not going to work."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How smart do you think the people here are?" Qrow laughs, in his real voice instead of that heady voice before. "As long as we keep our heads down, they'll never know that we aren't really who we say we are."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clover smiles. "Let's go to this oceanic dance party then, before the party leaves without us."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, yes, because they would leave without the two most important uninvited guests."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Actually?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I managed to sneak in and modify the list. Got forgeries of the invites from Robyn, who is all for saying no to the law."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shall we?" Clover offers his arm, and Qrow interlaces them together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The party is larger than Clover expects.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s easier to blend into the crowd, the well-dressed rich folks making their way around. Qrow and Clover make their way through, and no one talks to them. No one tries to speak with them, mostly absorbed in one another.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clover doesn’t want to speak to anyone else, though. He wants to just watch Qrow sparkle in the moonlight, watch the way he looks absolutely brilliant in the dress he wears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And when all the people that were legitimately invited go into the boat to eat, the two of them stay out. They can hear the music just from outside.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>
    <span>He said, "Look at you, worrying so much about things you can't change</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You'll spend your whole life singing the blues</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>If you keep thinking that way"</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He was trying to skip rocks on the ocean, saying to me</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Don't you see the starlight, starlight?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Don't you dream impossible things?"</span>
  </em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>They dance out on the deck. The music is faint, but they don't need it. The air smells like salt, and waves ripple softly against the boat to the beat of the music.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They're doing the kind of dancing that doesn't really count, swaying softly in time with the music.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clover has to look up to see Qrow, with the heels. "Can I kiss you?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Qrow leans down and Clover meets him in the middle. It's briefer than Clover would like, but Qrow, from the texture, is wearing lipstick. And neither of them would want it to come off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You should...be less sad," Qrow declares. "You'll have plenty of time to mope after this."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I can't help but think that this might be the last time we get a date like this."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't talk about that. I just want you to enjoy this. And think about what we'll be able to do when you come back."</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ooh, ooh he's talking crazy</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ooh, ooh, dancing with me</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ooh, ooh, we could get married</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Have ten kids and teach them</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>How to dream…</span>
  </em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>"If I could," Clover starts, "if it were possible, I would jump at the chance to marry you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Clover Branwen does sound nice…" Qrow muses. "If it were possible, I would love that. If it were possible to go out without having to jump through so many hoops, I would. And if we get through this…" Qrow rests his forehead against Clover's. "When we get through this, things will have changed. I don't know if we'll ever be able to be open about it…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clover steps out of the embrace to lean on the railing of the boat, looking out over the ocean.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Qrow leans next to him, their elbows touching.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But I might not. And you need to be prepared to accept that."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you prepared for it? Because I don't even want to entertain the possibility." Qrow looks over. Clover doesn't want to look back, because then Qrow will know. Qrow knows how to read him, sometimes more than Clover can understand himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Soldiers die sometimes. They die quite a bit, actually, and it's totally normal. I have accepted the likelihood of it."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're named after a good luck charm. I don't think you will."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I know I might. But that's okay."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No, it isn't. I am not okay with you dying."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Let's...dream that it doesn't happen. What comes next?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We keep going as we are. We won't be able to do the same things as normal couples, but I want to stay with you. For as long as we can be together."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I promise you," Clover murmurs, "that I'll do my best to come back to you. And if I come back, we'll have the rest of our lives ahead of us."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Forever," Qrow remarks, "sounds very nice."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I love you."</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>
    <span>Don't you see the starlight, starlight?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Don't you dream impossible things?</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>you can find me on Tumblr (main) @alto-tenure or (writing) @beunforgotten!</p><p>have a great day/night/wherever you are!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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